Mindful Hack

The Mindful Hack is a Web log of Denyse O'Leary, co-author of The Spiritual Brain: A neuroscientist's case for the existence of the soul (HarperOne August 2007). The Mindful Hack publishes information of interest on the relationship between the mind and the brain. O'Leary also publishes the Post-Darwinist, which keeps up with the intelligent design controversy.

Friday, December 12, 2008

How NOT to build a multicultural society - Part II

According to Liberty Counsel, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has allowed a sign to be installed by the"Freedom from Religion Foundation," in the state Capitol building, that reads, in part,

"There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Allowing such a sign is so wrong, it is hard to know where to begin. First, as numerous court decisions at the highest levels, across North America, have upheld, any statement against a given religion is in itself a religious statement.

Saying "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell" is simply the converse of saying "There are gods, devils, angels, heaven [and/] or hell." So the anti-[whatever] group has a creed - whatever that creed is.

(Space aliens? Random self-organization? "Anybody-but-God"?)

No one should be permitted to post a sign on public property attacking another faith group(s). The governor should ask these people to rewrite their sign for posting on public property.

They should be permitted to say only what they do believe.

Where I live, in Toronto, we have generally dealt wisely with stuff like that - so far as I can see. People can put up displays for their religion but not against any other. That is the test that this "freedom from religion" display has decisively failed.